As a part of the Mother’s Day celebrations at the Dyldam Parramatta Eels, several players welcomed their mums to watch a training session last week and surprised them with lunch, flowers and presents. See photos from the visit.
We caught up with the Blue and Gold mothers to chat about what their sons were like growing up, on and off the field, and how they celebrate Mothers day.
- Read our interview with David Gower’s mum, Henny Gower
- Read our interview with Tim Mannah’s mum, Abi Mannah
- Read our interview with Will Hopoate’s mum, Brenda Hopoate
- Read our interview with Anthony Watmough’s mum, Diane Martin
Ever wonder what Brad Takairangi was like as a child? His mum Susan says Brad was a ball of energy that showed an early love for rugby league.
“As a kid he never sat down, he was always go, go, go, anything to do with league he was crazy about league," Susan said of Brad as a child.
"He used to get the ball and run up and down the house, he actually wore our carpet out in the passage way cause he would be commentating to himself!” Susan said.
‘And Sterling’s got the ball, and Sterling scored a try!’ and so we had a patch where the carpet is just worn away from this kid running up and down commentating to himself and we used to sit in the lounge and say ‘just listen to that kid!” So that was Bradley.”
Now, Susan can sit in her lounge room and listen to people commentating as Brad plays first grade rugby league for the Eels, the same club Brad’s father, Louis Takairangi, played for on the wing in 1987.
But it is rare of Susan to be watching from her home as she loves to come down to Pirtek stadium and cheer on her son with enormous pride.
“Oh I’m crazy, I’m yelling jumping up and down, dancing, Parramatta’s got great music when the boys score a try, so I’m dancing away,” Susan said.
“Semi’s got the best song, I love that song!”
“Bradley’s two sisters are crazy too, they are as loud as me, they stand up with me and we laugh and cheer and we out clap anybody that’s near us, so yeah crazy.”
Susan considers Brad a very good, caring and sensitive son and also reveals that he can actually be a bit of a goodie-goodie.
“As a son he is a good boy. He is very caring, he’s actually quite sensitive but he likes to act like ‘I’m a man, I’m tough’ but he is quite a soft-hearted young man,” Susan said.
“He is kind of a goodie goodie boy. He has had his moments when he’s been naughty, but he doesn’t really stand out as being a fighter.”
Susan and Brad are celebrating Mothers Day by going to one of Brads personal favourite restaurants,Hurricanes, keeping Brads 25 years record of remembering Mothers Day in shape.
“For Mothers Day, he is taking me to his favourite place, Hurricanes, and I think he just likes that because you get a bib to eat this big platter of ribs!” Susan joked.
“He remembers Mother’s Day every time its comes around, since he has been 6-7 always giving me presents, he has been very good.”
